Depp's assistant says texts between him and Amber Heard are fake

Damning text messages sent between Amber Heard and her estranged husband Johnny Depp's personal assistant are being written off as fake.

Entertainment Tonight has published the texts as the pair's divorce gets uglier. But Depp's personal assistant Stephen Deuters says they're fake, and that he never saw Depp hurt Heard.

Heard filed a restraining order against the Pirates of the Caribbean star last week, submitting a photo of what appeared to be a bruise on her right eye as evidence.

(Superior Court of Los Angeles)

The texts appear to show that Depp was physically abusing Heard long before they were even married, but she kept believing he was "going to get better".

There are no dates on the screenshots, but Entertainment Tonight's source says the exchange dates back to May 2014. In the first, Deuters tells Heard that "he" -- presumably Depp -- is "incredibly apologetic and knows that he has done wrong".

"He wants to get better now. He's been very explicit about that this morning."

Heard allegedly replies: "I don't know how to be around him after what he did to me yesterday. I don't know if I can stay with him."

If the texts are real, according to both Deuters and Heard, Depp appears to have no knowledge or recollection of attacking Heard. It's not clear why this might be the case.

"Obviously he has no idea what he did or to the extent that he did it," Heard supposedly writes. "Unfortunately for me, I remember in full detail everything that happened."

"When I told him he kicked you, he cried," Deuters apparently replies. "It was disgusting. And he knows it."

The texts then have Deuters say Depp "needs all the help he can get" and is a "little lost boy".

Deuters has told TMZ the texts are "doctored" and he will testify under oath the conversation never happened.